Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Hezbollah that ‘no terrorist is immune’ as violence on the Lebanese border escalates.
Members of Israel’s war cabinet and military leaders have warned the Iran-backed terror group that they are prepared for war if diplomatic efforts fall through.
Earlier this week, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah warned Israel that the group would swiftly respond ‘on the battlefield’ to the killing of Hamas’s deputy chief in Beirut.
Amid fears of Israel launching a possible operation in Lebanon, Defence Secretary Yoav Gallant said: ‘We prefer the path of an agreed-upon diplomatic settlement, but we are getting close to the point where the hourglass will turn over.’
It comes as the Washington Post revealed that US officials are concerned that Netanyahu could see expanding the war as a means to keeping his grip on power, amid rising criticism over his government’s failure to prevent the October 7 attack.
‘Israel has been responding and will continue to respond forcefully to Hezbollah’s aggression.
‘Hezbollah is seeking an escalation despite the unwanted disruption it could bring to the people Lebanon in addition to the suffering it is bringing the people of southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah is ‘putting the future of the region at risk, all for the sake of Hamas’, the Israeli military spokesperson went on.
‘We have a duty to defend our people, if not through diplomatic means, then through the force of arms. The diplomatic window may be short, but it’s still open.’
In an apparent reference to the killing of al-Arouri in Beirut, Netanyahu warned on Sunday: ‘I suggest that Hezbollah learn what Hamas has already learned in recent months: no terrorist is immune.
‘We are determined to protect our citizens and return the residents of the north safely to their homes.